It is terrible that conservatives are out there distorting the records of each candidate. Or worse passing along wrong information without checking facts. All of them have qualifications and disqualifications. But can we get away from what they say they will do and compare what they actually did when they were afforded governing power?

I was talking to a nationally published conservative author and speaker today who had absolutely no clue that Newt Gingrich gave the “keynote” rebuttal AGAINST Al Gore on Cap and Trade legislation. This is a travesty not just of conservative media, but those we surround ourselves with.

Sorry in advance to those supporting Santorum and Paul. For Florida at least, this is a 2 man race. My apologies in advance for the lack of objectivity. The more I read about how wildly Romney lies about his record (and distorts Newt’s), I realize I simply can’t address this without showing emotion. But I am trying to give an ACCURATE snapshot of anything that could be considered conservative or liberal on both.

What are their biggest accomplishments actually governing?Mitt Romney as MA Governor

Promised no new taxes and raised them excessively.In 2003, Romney actually set the record for the most fee increases enacted by a state, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. In addition, he raised over $300 million dollars from businesses by “closing loopholes” on subchapter S corporations but this loophole closing actually resulted in doubling the tax rates. Indeed, as Peter Nicholas, chairman of Boston Scientific stated, “when Mitt Romney became governor in 2003, subchapter S corporations that were owned by Massachusetts business trusts were taxed at 5.3 percent…..By the time Romney left office, the tax rate on these corporations had climbed to 9.8 percent.” *

Was 47th out of 50 in job creation of all Governors. If Katrina had not hit he would have been lower.

State spending ended $5.2 billion dollars higher when he began office.

He left a $3 billion deficit $2 billion deficit via RomneyCare in unfunded liability. (Romney also claimed he turned $3 Billion deficit into $1 Billion surplus. Truth is it was only a $1.2 Billion deficit cut with gutting education and raising taxes. The “rainy day” fund ended up only being $77 Million surplus NOT a $1 Billion surplus.)

He spent millions on pork projects such as buying new cars for welfare recipients.

Initiated most liberal progressive socialized health care of any state in history. 50% (2010 poll) dislike it, and costs are higher than other states.

Allowed Planned Parenthood to be incorporated into MA law by name as part of the oversight of parts of the program.

Romney dramatically limited emissions on six power plants, even going so far as to claim – with radical environmentalists at his side – that one power plant had killed 59 people.

He continued to grant state aid to four “sanctuary cities” in Massachusetts with no effort made to restrict this assistance. Contrary to his campaign propaganda there was no bill or effort to give drivers licenses to illegals that he “fought.”

One of his own endorsers (Powerline) admit, “…there is no question that Governor Romney’s initial fiscal discipline slacked off in the second half of his term…” Note: Said another way, he couldn’t even be fiscally responsible for more than 2 years.

Romney’s conservative initiatives?

He consolidated the social service and public health bureaucracy and restructured the Metropolitan District Commission.

In May of 2004, he proposed cutting the state’s income tax rate from 5.3% to 5.0%. He failed. Three times.

He pushed for legislation that increased the number of hours each week recipients must work and establishing a five-year limit for receiving benefits.

He forced Medicaid recipients to make co-payments for some services and for new state workers to increase contributions from 15% to 25%.

He changed the state pension system by moving it from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system.

He vetoed a “card check” system for unions.

He vetoed a minimum wage law.

Romney left office without running for a second term with approval ratings under 35%.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Newt Gingrich as GA Congressman and Speaker of the House

33 years as Congressman including 4 as Speaker of the House

Lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 90%
(most recent year was for 1998 at 100%)* **

He had a Democrat controlled Congress up until 1994, a Democrat President and Senate from 1992 until 1998

Helped Reagan pass biggest tax cut in 50 years as Minority Whip, called out George Bush on breaking his promise and led (as a legislator) a Democrat President to do the same.

Art Laffer confirms Gingrich helped on a team that designed “Supply Side Economics.”

Supported/Championed policies that created 11 Million jobs.

National Taxpayers Union’s Annual Scorecard on reduced spending and taxes gave Gingrich an “A”, for his last four years in office, ranking him #1, #4, #2 and #11 and as one of the most conservative members in Congress.

Led a Balanced Budget initiative with a Democrat President. As a Speaker not an Executive Branch Leader and not in control of the Senate or Executive Branch. He balanced the budget 4 times creating the first surplus in decades.

$400 billion in debt was paid off during time as Speaker, although Gingrich agreed with Reagan on deal that ended up running deficits until 1988.

Fought and defeated HillaryCare both in strategy, as well as political and legislative maneuvering.

On third try got a Democratic President and Senate to initiate Welfare Reform that put 60% of recipients to work.

Gingrich’s pro-life voting record is 98.6%, 70 out of 71 votes.

Brought two partial birth abortion bills to Clinton that served as the model for what was passed under George W. Bush.

He helped Reagan’s initiative to eliminate 12 of 94 programs and cut budgets of many others like the SBA more than 50%.

He identified, recruited, campaigned for and helped organize over the biggest minority opposition swing getting 367 Congressional candidates to sign the Contract With America. This resulted in a NET GOP pickup of 52 seats in the House, 8 in the Senate and 11 Governorships.

Contract With America – (1995 Description): “…represented the culmination of 30 years of creative conservative thinking dealing with the basic social and economic problems of modern America. The ideas provided the background for the widest range of legislative initiatives, certainly since the 1930s, and possibly at any time in American political history.”

Contract With America, summarized: The ten items in the Contract were all acted upon in the first 100 days of the new Congress, which is what the signatories had pledged. Nine of the ten items in the Contract passed the House: Only the constitutional amendment on term limits (which required a two-thirds vote) was defeated. Out of a total of 302 roll call votes on issues related to the Contract With America, the conservatives prevailed on 299 of them. A balanced budget amendment passed in the House by a 300-123 margin but was subsequently defeated as it fell one vote short of the two-thirds needed for passage in the U.S. Senate. The overall margin by which the items in the Contract were passed averaged about 70 percent despite the fact that the Republicans only held a 12-seat margin over the Democrats (52-48 percent, the smallest House majority margin in 40 years). Given the notorious lack of party discipline in the American Congress, the passage by a large majority of nearly all of the items in the Contract was a remarkable achievement. I can’t adequately cover all 10 initiatives and their profundity but they include:

Congressional Reform including Congress being subject to the law they pass

Job Creation act included capital-gains cuts and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. Other sections of the Contract include a proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, strengthening the powers of parents in their children’s education, stronger child pornography laws, and elderly dependent care tax credit) and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act (raise the Social Security earnings limit, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance). The only bill that failed was Term Limits.

He is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals at Air University and taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University.

Gingrich’s “Liberal” Legislation?

Supported Reagan in Simpson-Mazzoli Amnesty Bill

Voted to raise taxes twice with Reagan.

Would vote for earmarks in exchange for conservative legislative votes.

When Newt became Speaker in 1995 congressional approval was about 20%. When he resigned the Speakership four years later, it was about 60%. Now it’s 11%.Observations

It is interesting how Romney is mostly lauded for conservative positions he never implemented, or was able to pass, when he was a governing leader and Gingrich is chastised for supposed liberal positions for which there is no voting record evidencing it. When it comes down to what they accomplished when in power to govern – Gingrich acted more like a Conservative President, and Romney more like a Compromising Legislator.

Similarly, why there is no evidence that Gingrich ever voted against something he campaigned on, Romney broke numerous pledges to both liberals and conservatives in his state.

So I leave it up to you to conclude who is more likely to do what they say.

(If I have omitted any major legislation that was passed into law for either – please submit in contact page so I can add it).Footnote:**Santorum lifetime ACU rating is only 83%, 84% for 1998 alone. David Keene, who headed the organization during most of Gingrich’s 20 years in Congress, said Gingrich’s rating is high in part because the issues on which he deviated were not voted on in Congress, and votes determine the group’s scorecard. While he’s not a conservative, he’s a partisan. He’s done a lot for conservatives. His speakership was basically conservative,” said Keene, who calls Gingrich a friend but is neutral in the 2012 race. Keene gives no substantive fact for his assertion and doesn’t explain why Gingrich wouldn’t vote for non-conservative positions if indeed he wasn’t a conservative. He similarly doesn’t comment on Santorum’s ideas that didn’t make it into law or Romney’s.

Comments

You have sold out to traditional media and limited our democracy. “Sorry in advance to those supporting Santorum and Paul. For Florida at least, this is a 2 man race.” Is a BS copout and as a responsible “journalist” you should be comparing the conservative records of all four men. They are all on the ballot. Which is not the case for Super Tuesday when your description would be accurate of a Paul – Romney showdown. Of course you have chosen to speak for everyone and expound on the “front runners” in a race that continues to be shaped and manipulated by a biased media. That you would not let people decide for themselves is by definition fascist. Also you left out all the information that shows Gingrich to be a globalist, wanting to limit the 2nd amendment, wanting to limit the 1st amendment, NAFTA, GATT, etc. notonewt.com – all verifiable research. Gingrich is the career politician that has fallen in out of favor with conservatives for 30 years. The one thing he has done consistently is to re-invent himself to better is own financial situation and career.

The bottom-line to the Republican primary is winding up with whomever has the most wherewithal and guts to call out/take to task both the mainstream-media and Obama. Thus far, Newt Gingrich has shown more of that more often than any other Republican candidate.

Promoted global warming in ad with Nancy Pelosi, and on those grounds alone should be disqualified from holding the office of President. But there’s much more, including being a member of the CFR, and in his role as speaker, helped to outlaw the ‘Glass-Steagall Act’ of 1933 that prohibited commercial banks from collaborating with full-service brokerage firms or participating in investment banking activities. Big mistake. Let’s not forget Fannie & Freddie. I could go on, but I’ll end with RINO GLOBALIST.
No thanks Newt

How many politicians do you know, that do what they say they will after they get elected? They all
speak with forked tongues. Newt will be no exception, he is a CFR Global elitist, big government career politician. Same as the rest. No change here.

Lincoln did the right thing in the end by freeing the slaves. The state of this Republic requires some honesty and integrity, along with some moral values, from the beginning, we can’t wait till the end. I gather that you believe Newt is the best choice. Yes?

Interesting… this article is filled with disinformation…. and neglect regarding facts about Newt like his working w/ Jimmy Carter to get the Dept of Education in place then voting for billions to be appropriated to it.

How about Newt’s idea of having a National database of THUMBPRINTS for gun owners… so it would be ‘easier’ for us to get a new gun (pure idiocy and completely UNConstitutional).

Romney went IN to a $3 billion deficit; much of the so called taxes (fees really) in the first year alone were from the previous administration. Romney left w/ a $2 billion SURPLUS.

How any supposed ‘Conservative’ could even think about Newt as President more than as just a JOKE is beyond me. The man has the morals of a gnat… no that’s insulting to gnats… he has the morals of a piece of filth you find on the bottom of your shoe AS does his wife.

Why would anyone want people like the Gingrich’s representing our country to the rest of the world? We are BETTER THAN THAT. People deserve better than Newt – especially when they actually take the time to look into his history, unlike this author.

I believe Gulag Bound but one of my problems with Newt is his wife! I mean, where’d he find her? She looks like some sort of alien from the spa planet. How much of our tax dollars are going to pay for her to have little fishes nibble on her toes? Does he just tell her to keep her trap shut? I’ve never heard her speak! She creeps me out! Ok?

You left out the fact that Newt cheated on both wife #1 and wife #2, that he supported global warming, that he described Paul Ryan’s plan to end the debt as “right-wing social engineering”. Clearly, either Newt can’t control his mouth or his sex drive, which makes him a poor choice. How a man behaves with these two organs is a good judge of how he will behave in all things. Newt’s greatest achievements were 20 years ago. Lately, not so much.

Newt’s 1st marriage – who knows? His daughters came to his aid concerning his divorce, substantially supporting Newt. AND Newt has never said anything regarding his previous marriages or his present marriage… and Bless Him, it ain’t none of your fbusiness.
If you read Newt’s FULL opinion and what he said re: Paul Ryan’s plan – you took it OUT OF CONTEXT.
He supports Ryan’s plan but would not support forced “right-wing social engineering” just like he is fervently opposed to “left-wing social engineering”!
Newt had not died 20 years ago – he’s been active espousing Conservative thoughts and principles, writing books and giving speeches and participating more than any other candidate (still running or dropped out) in the great debates of our time!
Prove me wrong on that – you, I feel just have a personal animosity towards Newt !
Pick some b.s. that is not so easy to dispute as your very weak attacks were.

At 63 years and counting I discover that personal integrity and the way they conducted themselves in private is a much better indicator of “conservatism” then their public statements and actions. This is because pressures from many sides influence public positioning but in private you can be true to yourself. One thing everyone forgets about Romney as Governor, he was elected by the Peoples Republic of MA and as such was honorable enough to respond to the vast majority of his employers. I appears he pushed most things in a far more conservative direction than would otherwise have been done, but “you can lead a horse to water…..”

His personal life however is exemplary showing solid morals, excellent business acumen, the desire to work hard and a superb leadership ability. As a non-Morman Christian living in Utah since 1986 I can tell you that he took over the Olympics when they were so far behind schedule and over budget that it was a disaster. He turned it completely around, led the effort to complete what the OIC said was one of the very best Winter Olympics, and Utah made a sizable profit as well. Something that I don’t believe had ever happened on the winter games.

Finally, for those Bible based, re-born, and charismatic Christians who still believe the Mormons are not “really Christians” I say nonsense. Peter was asked how to tell if other people were Christians and he relied “by their works shall ye know them” and with that as my guide, I can truthfully say the Mormons are some of the best and most ardent followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ on earth. I don’t remember any part of the Bible that says they have to have a specific dogma other than a true and heartfelt belief that salvation only comes from Our Lord and that is exactly what the Mormons preach. Repentance, Baptism, and life following the Spirits guidance is EXACTLY what they teach as I have visited their churches many times and have many Mormon friends who attend my Bible church with me.

Romney will make a fine President and he will strongly support the reduction of government and lowering of the deficit we al desire. He was not my first choice, but Alan West did not run.

In 1970, Gingrich joined the history department at West Georgia College as an assistant professor. In 1974 he moved to the geography department and …
was instrumental in establishing an interdisciplinary environmental studies program.

Denied tenure, he left the college in 1978. 20 years later as it appeared he would be denied the speakership, he announced he was leaving CONgress right after the election. Appears to me that little Newtie Newt throws a temper tantrum and takes his ball and goes home when he doesn’t get his way.

Romney is full of it – Just another “go along -to get along” sheriff McAmnesty aisle crosser!
Romney broke Reagan’s 11th commandment so many times – Mr. Dirty Campaigner – what else could he do, when you have just read this article about his great non-accomplishments!
I D O N T T R U S T R H I N O M N E Y

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